SHEA butter is one of nature's wonders, and a special one at that. It has been used for millennia by many generations of African people for skincare, baby care, healing and food.
The shea butter industry employs about 10 million women in rural communities in 21 countries across Africa, contributing to the economic growth of the respective countries. In Ghana, the shea nuts are traditionally harvested mainly by women in the northern part of the country, crushed and boiled to extract the shea butter.
In the hot Sahara or Savannah, shea butter protects the skin from the sun and dehydration. What makes shea butter an extraordinary skincare product and an amazing body healer is its richness in precious constituents, which include unsaturated fats with essential fatty acids, vitamins E and D, provitamin A and allantoin. All these are natural and make shea butter a superfood for your skin (and hair).
It can also be used for wrinkles, skin protection, strengthening and regenerating, as well as an antioxidant,
anti-inflammatory, deep moisturiser and for treating scars.
Cosmetic products
To promote the activities of local industries engaged in the manufacturing of shea butter and the use of other local ingredients for cosmetic-based products, the maiden edition of the Shea African Cosmetic Products exhibition has been launched in Accra.
The three-day event to be organised by Shea Network Ghana, a non-governmental organisation, is supported by Global Shea Alliance and the US Agency for International Development.
Intended to encourage Ghanaians to rediscover shea butter as a beauty-based beauty product, the event is expected to host about 40 manufacturers who use African indigenous ingredients such as the shea butter for cosmetics from across the country.
The event, scheduled for November 24-26, 2014 at the Osu Presby Hall in Accra, is to bring together cosmetics users, soap makers, shea butter collectors and processors among many others.
Benefits of shea butter
Addressing the ceremony, the Board Chairman of Shea Network Ghana, Mr Prince Obeng-Asante, said with the rich and natural content in shea butter, it was very important for Ghanaians to appreciate its benefit to promote operations of the industry.
He explained that in Ghana, 66 districts across the three Northern regions and some parts of the Brong Ahafo and Volta regions were involved in the industry, with women being the largest group involved.
With about 600,000 women collectors and butter processors at the community level, he said, Ghana produced about 100,000 metric tonnes of shea kernels annually.
He added that the shea trees covered approximately 77,670 square kilometres and provided a source of income for women collectors and their families.
He said the shea tree yields many products, including the processing of the shea kernel into shea butter, which is used for cooking, confectionery, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.
"The pulp of the fruit contains proteins and carbohydrates and can be eaten during periods of food scarcity," he stated.
Challenges
Mr Obeng-Asante, however, noted that despite the economic and nutritional potential of the industry, less attention had been given to the shea butter production industry, indicating that the exhibition was to create a platform to discuss the significance of shea nut and explore the export potentials of the commodity, with support from the public and private sectors.
The Communications Manager of Global Shea Alliance, Ms Grace Perkins, said products such as traditional black soap, raw shea butter and coconut shampoo were some of the products to be exhibited.
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